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Sharkey County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Sharkey County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the highest of 82 Mississippi counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 79%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Sharkey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 79.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 96.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 14.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 91.6% |
| Mapped soil | 278,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 43% | 99% |
| Alligator | 17% | n/a |
| Commerce | 14% | n/a |
| Dowling | 11% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 5% | n/a |
| Tunica | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS125 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 14.6% by land area here, and 92% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 79% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 79% of Sharkey County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 96% of Sharkey County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 40.66 in, 15.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.28 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 2.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
25 flood losses since 2016, $715,569 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 12. Median water depth outside the building: 36 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.66 in (-15.62) |
| 2025 | 53.56 in (-2.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1982: 78.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 33.36 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROLLING FORK (3 mi away) | 17.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,650 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $98,000 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issaquena County, MS | 14 mi | 69% | 84% |
| Humphreys County, MS | 24 mi | 86% | 92% |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 26 mi | 56% | 83% |
| Yazoo County, MS | 27 mi | 23% | 71% |
| Washington County, MS | 27 mi | 65% | 88% |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 37 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Warren County, MS | 37 mi | 19% | 49% |
| Chicot County, AR | 38 mi | 51% | 72% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status